Critic’s Corner

Walking Across America in my 90th Year

Right in the middle of Granny D’s new book is a chapter about Toyah’s Berta Begay and her purple bottle collection.

Granny D, aka Doris Haddock, walked through Toyah and Pecos on her way from California to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 1999, when she was 90 years old. I interviewed her at the Buck Jackson Rodeo Arena, where she spoke at the American Cancer Society’s fund raiser, “Relay for Life,” and found her intriguing, to say the least.

Berta, the engaging Postmaster at Saragosa, provided food and shelter for Granny D while she was in this area. Her chapter is titled “Purple Glass,” and it describes the antique bottles on display in Berta’s guest house, a little yellow bungalow near the railroad tracks in Toyah.

“When Berta stands and talks, her very dignified posture and great smile are powerfully charismatic,” Granny says of her host, describing Berta to a T.

Pecos comes off as the “Center of the World,” where Granny met with Tom Rivera at the chamber office and joined the lunch crowd at the museum courtyard.

From the Mojave Desert to the Union Station in Washington, D.C., Granny meets colorful characters and patriotic Americans at every stop. Some walk alongside her, and others cheer her on from the roadside.

Flashbacks to her own experiences add zest to a zippy narrative of her trek. And the underlying theme of love for her country is a shot in the arm we all need.

I bought my copy from amazon.com for under $20.
The hardback, 285-page book, titled “Granny D: Walking Across America in My 90th Year,” is available in bookstores for $21.95.

-Peggy McCracken

Critic’s Corner

By Peggy McCracken

Christmas Tails

Christmas Tails is one long poem about (you guessed it) Santa Claus and his dog.

Not just any dog. Snuggles volunteers to pull Santa’s sleigh when all the reindeer come down with a virus on Christmas Eve. Taking his lead, Santa enlists hundreds of dogs from a pet motel to help deliver toys to children all over the world.

Childlren will learn a lesson about respect for all living things through this allegorical narrative.

Author Robert X. Leeds’ choice of pet motel clients is understandable, because Leeds operated a pet motel for 27 years. He has written another book, “Love is a Four Legged Word,” about that experience.

Christmas Tails is a hardback book suitable for the coffee table and for reading to grandchildren Published by Epic Publishing Company Inc., it is available in stores at $24.95. ISBN 0-9674025-2-2.

-Peggy McCracken

Critic’s Corner

Cattus Petasatus Cat in the Hat

in Latin.

Dr. Seuss intrigues us all with his rhyming silliness. Now Latin lovers can read it in the language of their hearts, thanks to a translation by Guenevera and Terentio Tunberg.

They didn’t teach Latin at Flomot, so I will have to take the Tunbergs’ word for it that their version resembles the original Cat in the Hat. In fact, it’s been so long since I read the original, I don’t remember how it goes.

Even I can tell the Latin rhymes. And the “vocabulary” section explains what each word means. So anyone with a yen to pick up some Latin expertise may want to check the nearest bookstore for a copy. Or go to the publisher’s website at http://www.bolchazy.com.

ISBN 086516472-X, Published by Bolchazy-Carducci, Wauconda, Il.

-Peggy McCracken

Critic’s Corner

Journey with the Lord

Del Sylver Bates found it hard to believe that God could love her until she read in His word that he loves everyone in spite of their sin.

“For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God,” she read in Romans 3:23. Then she found in John 3:16 that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son” to save everyone who believes.

“Tantalized by this unbelievable news, my life began to grow in leaps and bounds,” she said. Wanting to share her new-found joy with others, she began writing poems that express her relationship with God. The result is a slim, hard-back volume of poetry titled “Journey with the Lord.” Look for it in your bookstore or at http://www.amazon.com.

ISBN 0-7880-1643-1, Published by Express Press

-Peggy McCracken

Critic's Corner

Country Woman Christmas

Painted Holiday Delights are too pretty to eat, but just looking at the photograph makes my mouth water. They are included among scores of Christmas goodies, decorations, craft ideas and family traditions pictured and described in the hardback book, "Country Woman Christmas 2001."

You will find designs for an appliqued tree skirt, an evergreen sweatshirt, nifty knit stocking, whimsical tea cozy and clever felt Nativity. Creative country women who gave us these ideas are profiled in the book, which highlights their hobbies or businesses and tells through story and poem how kindness, joy and spirituality bind families, friends and communities during the season.

I'm not the least big crafty, and I can hardly even boil water in the microwave. But I enjoy reading about how others do it. Just thinking of painting red, yellow and green candles, wreaths, snowflakes and other Christmasy scenes on 200 cookies covered with white icing gives me the willies, but an artist probably would enjoy taking brush in hand and dipping into food color "paint."

CRITIC’S CORNER

Love is a 4 legged word

Robert X. Leeds parlayed a broken heart over a pet dog’s death into a string of pet motels and now a book detailing his experiences.

In Leed’s American Pet Motels, dogs slept on brass beds and talked to their owners on Snoopy telephones. They had midday cookie breaks and listened to piped-in music. Pets at the same food at the motel that they were used to at home, even if it was a half glass of beer at bedtime or eggs and bacon for breakfast.

Leeds gave up a career as an engineer with General Motors to launch his pet motel in Illinois, after four years of research and a disappointing hunt for financing. MacDonald’s owner Ray Croc of McDonald’s invested over $1 million in Leed’s dream.

Photos of clients through the years enhance the 286-page text, published in hardback by EpicPublishing Co. Available in bookstores at $24.95. ISBN 0-9674025-2-2

-Peggy McCracken

Critics corner

Around the World in the Middle Seat

Joyce Brooks’ list of places she has visited for free reads like a world map. All 50 states of the United States and nine Canadian provinces are just a start. From Antigua to the Virgin Islands in Central America, Argentina to Venezuela in South America, Andorra to Yugoslaviain Europe, Brunei to Vietnam in Asia, Cape Verde Islands to Zimbabwe in Africa and Australia to Tahiti in the Pacific Area, she has traveled up and down the alphabet.

In her book, “Around the World in the Middle Seat,” Brooks tells how she saw the world (and survived) as a group travel leader. She takes the middle seat because her husband likes the window seat, Brooks explains in the prologue to the 266-page paperback.

During the 25 years they led group tours, Brooks said the flight to and from the destination was the only unpleasant and bad part of a trip. “But it was certainly worth every inconvenience and all the dreadful food to see and to do everything that I have experienced,” she said.

Anyone who has dreamed of seeing the Taj Majal or strolling the streets of Paris in the spring should read this travelogue, which sells in bookstores for $17.95. ISBN 1-887140-39-5.

-Peggy McCracken

Master your panic,
take back your life

Denise F. Beckfield, PH.D. offers 12 treatment sessions to overcome high anxiety in the second edition of "Master Your Panic and Take Back Your Life!,"
published by Impact Publishers.

The 14 chapters and six appendices range from first aid for panic to everyday anxieties. She gives relaxation techniques, controlled breathing and how to deal with unsatisfying outcomes.

The physical symptoms of a panic attack can include shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea, a pounding heart, numbness in the hands and feet, even severe headaches, Beckfield says. And as many as one in 10 Americans may suffer from panic disorder.

Beckfield is a veteran clinical specialist in this field.

"Panic disorder is more distressing than you might imagine," she said. "It restricts people from enjoying day-to-day activities and can lead to substance abuse, relationship troubles and depression."

Caught in the Path

Dropping out of the sky without warning, twisters from a monstrous storm leveled three Missouri towns, leaving 44 dead, 500 injured and over $1 million in property damage on May 20, 1957.

At a time when communication between hospital emergency systems was still developing, the chaos of evacuation intensified as most injured were brought to the nearest hospital while other emergency rooms stood in wait.

Many former GIs called on their war training as they rescued and tended injured. At the scene and cut off from medical personnel, these recent soldiers were the only hope for many of the injured.

Nothing defines a community more than its reaction to disaster. "Caught in the Path, A Tornado's Fury, A Community's Rebirth," is a story of fear and courage, suffering and resiliency.

The hardest hit area, 4-year-old Ruskin Heights, was the first post-war tract housing development in the Kansas City area.

Like so many of their generation, its residents, mostly first-time home buyers in their 20s and 30s, came to Ruskin to raise their baby-boom families with the optimism of the '50s. When the tornado scattered their dreams along its path, they came back and changed a housing development into a community.

Without the instant weather information the media provides today, the storm's victims relied on scattered, often delayed, radio reports, and a few impromptu television announcements interrupting "I Love Lucy." All too often the only warning was a hellish roar and a last-minute look at the sky.

"Caught in the Path" serves to remind us how far we've come in weather forecasting and how dangerous it is to be compacent about severe weather.

Written by Carolyn Glenn Brewer, the paperback is available at a discount. Click here to order. Caught in the Path

Peggy McCracken

Spinach is good
in veggie dessert

Had you ever thought of spinach as a dessert? Well, now you can add that most nutritious of foods to pies and cakes for a mouth-watering, muscle-building treat.

Ingredients follow standard recipes, except for the addition of greens (turnip or spinach) to the mix. They give nutrition facts with each delicious recipe, so you will know how each will fit into your overall diet plan.

Heart attack can
save your life

Joseph Mason learned the hard way that what you eat determines how you live. He had a heart attack before he learned how to become healthier, prevent another heart attack and lose weight sensibly.

In "Let My Heart Attack Save Your Life," Mason explains in great detail about cholesterol and what makes it; elements of a healthy diet; and exercises to keep the body fit.

Charts make the numbers easy to read and understand, but the 195-page paperback is still a little tedious.

Click here to order at a discount from the $14.95 list price:
Heart attack

--Peggy McCracken

Classical music for everybody

By DHUN H. SETHNACapture the drama of man's fight for freedom with Beethoven,
share with Wagner a young father's dreams for his infant
son, or descend with Liszt into the depths of Dante's Hell
in Dhun H. Sethna's new book, "Classical Music for
Everybody."

Sethna leads beginners who don't know where to start and
music lovers who want to deepen their understanding through
piece after piece of classical music. He not only explains
the piece, but gives lessons in music construction and
instrumentation as he goes along.

He introduces non-musicians to the vocabulary of music, such
as a fugue or the sonata form, and explains the timetables
of music and varieties of musical experience through
specific compositions.

By obtaining the music and using the more than 90 listening
notes, anyone can learn to enjoy classical music.

Published by Fitzwilliam Press the $16.96 trade paperback
is available at a discount through amazon.com.
-Peggy McCracken

Art Marketing 101: A Handbook for the Fine Artist

Vincent Van Gogh may have depended on his brother to sell his paintings and handle business affairs, but not every artist is so fortunate. Thus, Constance Smith his created a reference book to help artists market their creations.

An artist must be educated in the art of business, says the author, who has worked as a curator, writer, lecturer and artist's representative.

"Artists have the right to survive in this society while practicing their endeavors," she said."To survive requires knowledge and creativity."

Beginning with psychological roadblocks and continuing through business basics, legal protection, pricing, shipping and display, Smith details how to create an image, choose a gallery, sell at shows and fairs, locate new markets, seek grants and endowments and market through the print media.

Pricing is an art in itself, Smith believes. She recommends setting the price on one piece twice as high as the next highest piece. Create large pieces if you don't want to sell miniatures for small prices, which the customer expects.

As you sell more, your prices will rise, but keep your work affordable to all your previous clients, Smith advises.

Select your first horse with care

My first horse was named "Star," a bay mare who would take the bit in her teeth and run like a streak until her rider jumped off or she got to the corral gate.

Ever since I left my country home for the city, I have wanted another horse of my own. Reading Jacqueline Dwelle's new book, "Your First Horse," I have learned there's more to buying a horse than just finding one that looks pretty or has a star on her forehead.

First you decide what you will use the horse for, what breed you prefer, conformation, age, temperament, size, price and resale value. Study horses that interest you, then get someone who knows horses to evaluate your choice.

Dwelle was fascinated with horses and began raiding at age 8. She has worked for top riders, managed barns and produces show horses. She takes you through the method of horse shopping, describes how to assess conformation, then gives guidelines for feeding, grooming, pasturing, stabling and caring for your horse's health.

Help for cancer patients

If you are facing chemotherapy and/or radiation for cancer, a school of nursing has just the prescription for you.

USCF Nursing Press School of Nursing has published a guide for patients and their families called "Managing the Side Effects of Chemotherapy & Radiation Therapy."

Following a brief introduction, the book lists the possible side effects, signs and symptons for each of 60 agents a patient may receive in chemotherapy. Then the author gives suggestions for managing their side effects.

In part 2, Radiation Therapy, nurses suggest ways to manage radiation side effects.

Part 3 is a behaviors log and patient appointment worksheet.

More than 90 percent of cancer care is provided on an outpatient basis, so patients and their families must learn to cope with the effects of treatment at home.

The book suggests when to contact a physician or a nurse about a particular symptom and includes useful nutritional advice for patients.

Availability: This title usually ships within 4-6 weeks. Please note that titles occasionally go out of print or publishers run out of stock. We will notify you within 2-3 weeks if we have trouble obtaining this title.

3rd Edition
Paperback
Published by Univ of California at San Francisco
Publication date: November 1996
ISBN: 0943671124

The Assertive Woman

The Assertive Woman has been around for two decades, but its authors have updated the best-seller for the 21st Century.
Stanlee Phelps and Nancy Austin say their book has helped thousands of women find and use their voices in this fast-moving world of ours.
"If it weren't for women with guts and brains, the Family and Medical Leave Act would never have passed,m 81 percent of Fortune 500 companies would not have at least one female director, and Congress would never have agreed to move the monument to early suffragists out of the Capitol basement and into the Rotunda," they assert.
No question there are still plenty of launch windows for change, they say.
So, women who identify with Dorrie Doormat or Augusta Aggressive may want to read up on ways they can be more like Allison Assertive.
While assertive is good, aggressive is spelled with a capital "B" in this book. And indirect aggression is just as bad as the head-on kind, the authors believe.
They provide a workbook section for individual guidance.
--Peggy McCracken

Genealogy in the computer age

Using a computer to research family history can greatly speed up the process. And the Mormon church offers public access to their voluminous computer records through one of their 2,000 family history centers worldwide - and at many other libraries.

The records are on CD, and may be accessed with software supplied by the church. It is not available by modem, nor is that in the plans.

"Genealogy in the Computer Age: Understanding FamilySearch" is a paperback manual for the software. The three-hole punched booklet can be purchased from the church or through bookstores, such as the Pecos Enterprise online bookstore at www.pecos.net/news.

It details how to access the Ancestral File, the International Genealogical Index and the U.S. Social Security Death Index.

Quick & Healthy Recipes

Fried corn tortillas have 10 times as much fat as baked tortillas, says
Brenda J. Ponichtera in her new cookbook, Quick & healthy, Volume
II.

Reducing fat is the Number 1 rule in a healthy diet, and Ponichtera
tells how to monitor the amount of fat in the foods you eat - by reading
labels and by consulting books and tables that list grams of fat in
various foods.

Such tables are listed in the first chapter of the comb-bound book that
features 190 delicious low-fat recipes, all kitchen tested for tempting
taste and ease of preparation.

"Quick" to the author means a recipe takes a short time to prepare,
usually 15 minutes or less. Cooking time may be much longer.

Each recipe also includes a nutritional analysis.

Volume I is also available at the same price. It was written at the
request of the registered dietitian's clients who wanted healthy recipes
that would be quick to prepare and enjoyed by the whole family. She
received so many requests for more low-fat recipes that tasted good,
Ponichtera published Volume II.

Breakfast treats in getaway locales

Marcy Claman's Rise & Dine; Savory Secrets from America's Bed &
Breakfast Inns, caught my eye because I have stayed in a bed &
breakfast where the food looked so delicious, it tempted me to stray
from my all-fruit breakfast diet. I didn't but I've wondered ever since
what I missed.

Inns from 40 states are featured in the thick book that offers over 300
easy and mouth-watering recipes for breakfast, brunch and snack time.
Some recipes were handed down by generations of the innkeepers' families.

Claman began her bed & breakfast adventures on her honeymoon and has
traveled the country since, collecting recipes along the way. She picked
only two Texas inns, one in Austin and one in Houston, but many recipes
have that Southwest flavor: huevos rancheros, (Spokane,
Wash.) and Tex-Mex eggs (from South Dakota) among them.

Descriptions of each inn accompany the recipes they provided, so you
can use it as a guide to help you plan a getaway trip. An index of inns
by state makes it easy to pinpoint areas of interest.

Armchair travelers can enjoy reading through the recipes, B&B profiles
and innkeeper anecdotes about their recipes.

A Cowboy of the Pecos

Patrick Dearen's A Cowboy of the Pecos is not about one cowboy, but
about all the cowboys who rode, roped and herded cattle along the Pecos
River from northern New Mexico to the Rio Grande during the late 1880s
and early 1990s.

"He rode hell-bent-for-leather along a Southwest river likened to hell
and entered the myth of the West.

"He was a cowboy of the Pecos," the 252-page non-fiction paperback
begins.

"With skills tailored to the river's unique demands and with chracter
honed by a no-man's-land in which `pecos' also meant murder and `pecos
swap,' theft, he was a breed of cowhand unlike any other," Dearden
writes.

While land along the Pecos was called cowboy's paradise, the Pecos
River was so treacherous it was known as the "graveyard of the cowman's
hopes."

Dearden skillfully captures the essence of the old West from the first
Goodnight-Loving trail drive to the 1920s when cattle trucks and pickups
snatched away the last hope for the cowboys way of life.

Vintage photographs, some from the Barney Hubbs and West of the Museum
collections, support the well-documented true stories.

Midlander Patrick Dearen has written three previous books of Pecos
country lore and legend. A member of Western Writers of America, his
When Cowboys Die was a finalist for the Spur Award.

Texas Forts Trail

Follow the Blue signs along the Texas Forts Trail from Fort Richardson at the northeast point at Jacksboro south through Brownwood to Ft. Mason,
then turn west to Ft. McKavett and north to Ft. Concho at San Angelo. Continue north through Abilene, Ft. Griffin and Ft. Belknap to complete the
loop. Other Texas forts not in the loop include Fort Bliss in El Paso, Fort Davis and Fort Stockton.

Descriptions of the old forts are clear and complete. Photos add realism.
It is a book you will want to take along on a trip to the historic forts that provided a military defense for the Texas frontier
when it was claimed by the Comanches, Kiowas, Apaches and Lipans. The federal government
established a line of forts after the Mexican War. They were abandoned during the Civil War and
restored following the war.

Where have all the fathers gone?
Fathering is in short supply. Permissiveness is widespread. Youngsters are often unruly, rebellious and irresponsible. All for the lack of fathering.

Growing children do not become self-disciplined unless they have been disciplined first by consistent fathering.

Values are not learned merely by listening to sermons. Reasonable pressure to do the right thing and to not do wrong is usually needed.

Mother is often the fathering parent, so the author's advice is aimed at both genders.

For:

Single and married mothers and fathers who want to improve parenting skills

Anyone concerned with crime, drugs and alcoholism.

Parents-to-be concerned with raising emotionally healthy kids

Grandparents, relatives and friends of families with difficult children

Anyone who sees the urgent need for character education and basic values

Every Family Needs a C.E.O. makes clear that democracies cannot survive for long unless the majority of their citizens know right from wrong.
Dr. Bar-Levav offers a manual full of practical solutions to the deterioration of our values and of civility itself.

Simple pleasures

Mangum groups menus by the four seasons, with easy, quick recipes to
help any cook set a nutritious meal before family and guests.

Among the 140 recipes are healthful gifts, low-fat choices, altering
recipes, using fiber, grains, greens and legumes to best advantage and
points to protein sources. She gives a grocery guide, index of recipes
and index of ingredients.